"If a law
passed that allowed same-sex marriages to become legal in your state, would
you actively support such a law, be in favor but not actively support it, be
opposed to it but not actively try to have it overturned, or be opposed to
such a law and actively work to overturn it?"

"Should
couples of the same sex be entitled to the same government benefits as
married couples of the opposite sex, or should the government distinguish
between them?"

.

Entitled to
the same

Distinguish
between

Unsure

Refused

%

%

%

%

8/16-20/12

63

32

4

1

8/18-22/11

57

40

2

1

8/11-16/10

58

38

3

1

9/3-8/09

54

42

4

1

8/22-29/08

51

43

4

1

.

"Should the
government give legal recognition to marriages between couples of the same
sex, or not?"2010
& 2011: "Should the
federal government give legal recognition to marriages between couples of
the same sex, or not?"
9/09: "Should the
federal government give legal recognition to marriages between couples of
the same sex?"

"Would you favor, oppose, or neither favor nor oppose a law allowing
same-sex couples to be legally married in your state?"In CT, DC, IA, MA, NH, NY, VT,
WA: "Do you favor, oppose, or neither favor nor oppose a law allowing
same-sex couples to be legally married in your state?"

"Would you favor or oppose amending the U.S. Constitution to define marriage
as being between a man and a woman?"

.

Favor

Oppose

Depends (vol.)

Unsure

%

%

%

%

5/13-15/12

38

53

2

7

.

3/3-4/04

52

40

3

5

.

"Do you believe gays and lesbians should be
allowed to get legally married, allowed a legal partnership similar to but
not called marriage, or should there be no legal recognition given to gay
and lesbian relationships?"

.

Legally
married

Legal
partnership

No legal
recognition

Unsure

%

%

%

%

5/13-15/12

37

33

25

5

.

8/10-11/10

37

29

28

6

5/12-13/09

33

33

29

5

11/4-5/06
LV

30

30

32

7

6/13-14/06

27

25

39

8

5/18-19/04

25

26

40

9

3/3-4/04

20

33

40

7

CBS News/New York Times Poll. May 11-13, 2012.
N=615 adults nationwide who had previously been polled by CBS and The
New York Times April 13-17, 2012. Margin of error ± 4.

.

"Which comes closest to your view? Gay couples should be
allowed to legally marry. OR, Gay couples should be allowed to form civil
unions but not legally marry. OR, There should be no legal recognition of a
gay couple's relationship."

.

Legal
marriage

Civil unions

No
legal
recognition

Unsure

%

%

%

%

5/11-13/12

38

24

33

5

.

"If you had to decide, do you think it should be legal or
not legal for same-sex couples to marry?"

.

Legal

Not legal

Unsure

%

%

%

5/11-13/12

42

51

7

.

"Would you favor or oppose an amendment to the U.S.
Constitution that would allow marriage only between a man and a woman?"

.

Favor

Oppose

Unsure

%

%

%

5/11-13/12

50

46

4

.

"Do you think laws regarding whether same-sex marriage is
legal or not should be determined by the federal government or left to each
individual state government to decide?"

"Which
comes closest to your view? Gay couples should be allowed to legally marry.
OR, Gay couples should be allowed to form civil unions but not legally
marry. OR, There should be no legal recognition of a gay couple's
relationship."

"Do you think
homosexuals / gays and lesbians who do NOT publicly disclose their sexual
orientation should be allowed to serve in the military or not?" "Homosexuals" and "Gays and lesbians"
each asked of half the sample.2/10 & earlier: "Do you think homosexuals who do NOT publicly disclose their sexual
orientation should be allowed to serve in the military or not?"

.

Should be
allowed

Should
not
be allowed

Unsure

%

%

%

12/9-12/10

83

14

4

2/4-8/10

83

15

1

7/10-13/08

78

18

5

1/01

75

22

3

5/93

63

35

2

.

"Do you think
homosexuals / gays and lesbians who DO publicly disclose their sexual
orientation should be allowed to serve in the military or not?" "Homosexuals" and "Gays and lesbians"
each asked of half the sample.
2/10 & earlier: "Do you think
homosexuals who DO publicly disclose their sexual orientation should be
allowed to serve in the military or not?"

"Suppose that
on Election Day you could vote on key issues as well as candidates. Please
tell me whether you would vote for or against a law that would do each of
the following. First, would you vote for or against a law that would allow
gays and lesbians to serve openly in the U.S. military?"

"As you may
know, Congress is considering several issues during its lame duck session
between now and the end of the year. The lame duck session includes many
current members of Congress who will leave when the new Congress takes over
in January. How important is it to you that the current lame duck Congress
complete action on each of the following this year: very important, somewhat
important, not too important, or not important at all? How about passing
legislation to allow openly gay men and women to serve in the military?"

"Do you think
the current Democratic Congress should repeal the 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'
policy and allow gay men and women to serve openly in the military or do you
think they should not repeal it so they continue to serve but not openly?"

"Now,
thinking about the military: Let me read you three statements about gay men
and women serving in the military, and please tell me which one comes
closest to your point of view. I favor allowing gay men and women to serve
in the military. I favor allowing gay men and women to serve in the military
under the existing 'don't ask, don't tell' policy. I oppose allowing gay men
and women to serve in the military." Options rotated

"Which
comes closest to your view? Gay couples should be allowed to legally marry.
OR, Gay couples should be allowed to form civil unions but not legally
marry. OR, There should be no legal recognition of a gay couple's
relationship."

"Do you
personally think that homosexual relationships between consenting adults is
morally wrong, or not a moral issue?"

.

Morally
wrong

Not a moral
issue

Unsure

%

%

%

2/12-15/10

48

50

2

CBS News/New York Times Poll. Feb. 5-10, 2010.
Adults nationwide.

.

"Do you favor
or oppose permitting homosexuals to serve in the military? ... Do you
favor/oppose that strongly or not so strongly?" N=550 (Form A)

.

Favor
Strongly

Favor Not
So Strongly

Oppose
Strongly

Oppose Not
So Strongly

Unsure

%

%

%

%

%

2/5-10/10

34

25

19

10

12

1/11-15/09

46

21

11

6

16

2/9-11/93

21

21

29

13

15

.

"Do you favor or oppose
permitting homosexuals to serve in the military?"
If favor: "What if they openly announce their sexual orientation? In that
case would you favor or oppose permitting homosexuals to serve in the
military?" N=550
(Form A).
Combined responses.

.

Favor

Oppose

Unsure

.

%

%

%

.

2/5-10/10

44

42

14

.

.

"Do you favor
or oppose permitting gay men and lesbians to serve in the military?"
If favor: "What
if they openly announce their sexual orientation? In that case would you
favor or oppose permitting gay men and lesbians to serve in the military?"N=534 (Form
B).
Combined responses.

"Do you think gay and lesbian couples should or should not
be allowed to form legally recognized civil unions, giving them the legal
rights of married couples in areas such as health insurance, inheritance and
pension coverage?"

.

Should

Should not

Unsure

%

%

%

2/4-8/10

66

31

3

.

"Do you yourself have a friend, family member, or
acquaintance who is gay or lesbian, or not?"

"Some people
say that not allowing openly gay men and women to serve in the military is
discrimination. Do you agree or disagree?"

.

Agree

Disagree

Unsure

%

%

%

2/2-8/10

66

31

3

4/21-27/09

60

36

4

.

"Some people
say that allowing openly gay men and women to serve in the military would be
divisive for the troops and hurt their ability to fight effectively. Do you
agree or disagree?"

.

Agree

Disagree

Unsure

%

%

%

2/2-8/10

30

65

5

4/21-27/09

35

58

7

.

"Do you think
the military should aggressively pursue disciplinary action against gay
service members whose orientation is revealed against their will by third
parties, or should this practice be ended?"

.

Disciplinary
Action

End
Practice

Unsure

%

%

%

2/2-8/10

10

82

8

.

"Do you think
gay military personnel should face any restrictions on exhibiting their
sexual orientation on the job or not?"

.

Should

Should Not

Unsure

%

%

%

2/2-8/10

54

38

8

.

"Do you think
the Pentagon should be responsible to provide for the domestic partners of
gay personnel or not?"

.

Should

Should Not

Unsure

%

%

%

2/2-8/10

43

50

8

.

"Do you think
heterosexual military personnel should be required to share quarters with
gay personnel or not?"

"Do you
strongly favor, favor, oppose, or strongly oppose allowing gay and lesbian
couples to enter into legal agreements with each other that would give them
many of the same rights as married couples?"

"Just your
best guess, do you think that allowing two people of the same sex to legally
marry will change our society for the better, will it have no effect, or
will it change our society for the worse?" Options rotated

.

Better

No effect

Worse

Unsure

%

%

%

%

5/7-10/09

13

36

48

2

9/19-21/03

10

40

48

2

.

"Do you favor
or oppose allowing openly gay men and lesbian women to serve in the
military?"

"Would you
support or oppose a law in your state that would allow civil unions for
same-sex couples?"

.

Support

Oppose

Unsure

%

%

%

4/21-27/09

57

38

5

.

"Do you think
same-sex couples should be allowed legally to marry, should be allowed
legally to form civil unions but not marry, or should not be allowed to
obtain legal recognition of their relationships?"

.

Legally
Marry

Form Civil
Unions

No Legal
Recognition

Unsure

%

%

%

%

4/21-27/09

33

26

34

6

7/8-13/08

32

33

29

6

.

"Some people
say that same-sex marriage is a threat to traditional marriage between a man
and woman. Do you agree or disagree?"

.

Agree

Disagree

Unsure

%

%

%

4/21-27/09

39

58

3

.

"Some people
say that not allowing same-sex couples to get married is discrimination. Do
you agree or disagree?"

.

Agree

Disagree

Unsure

%

%

%

4/21-27/09

45

51

3

.

"Who do you
think should decide whether same-sex couples should be allowed to get
married: your state legislature or your state courts?"

.

Legislature

Courts

Both (vol.)

Neither (vol.)

Unsure

%

%

%

%

%

4/21-27/09

43

25

5

16

12

.

"Do you
support or oppose allowing same-sex couples to adopt children?"

.

Support

Oppose

Unsure

%

%

%

4/21-27/09

53

40

6

.

"In your
opinion, what causes someone to be gay or lesbian? Do you believe that
people are born gay or lesbian, or that people become gay or lesbian because
of the way they are brought up, or is it just the way that some people
choose to live?"

.

Born

Brought Up

Choose

Unsure

%

%

%

%

4/21-27/09

42

6

36

16

.

"Do you have
close friends or close relatives who are gay or lesbian?"

.

Yes

No

Unsure

%

%

%

4/21-27/09

63

34

3

.

"In general,
do you think government is paying too much, too little, or about the right
amount of attention to the needs of gays and lesbians?"

.

Too Much

Too Little

About Right

Unsure

%

%

%

%

4/21-27/09

41

22

26

11

.

"In general,
do you think society is paying too much, too little, or about the right
amount of attention to the needs of gays and lesbians?"

.

Too Much

Too Little

About Right

Unsure

%

%

%

%

4/21-27/09

49

21

22

8

.

"Some people
say that ending discrimination against gay men and women is as necessary
today as ending discrimination against blacks was in the 1960s. Do you agree
or disagree?"

"If a state's government does not legally recognize marriages
between gays or lesbians, do you think that state should or should not allow gay
and lesbian couples to form civil unions which would give them some of the legal
rights of married couples?"

N=1,005 (Form A),
MoE ± 3

.

Should

Should not

Unsure

%

%

%

4/23-26/09

60

38

2

.

"Do you favor or oppose the policy sometimes called 'Don't Ask,
Don't Tell' in which the U.S. military does not ask new recruits whether they
are gay or lesbian, but prohibits gays and lesbians from serving in the military
if they reveal their sexual orientation?"

N=1,014 (Form B),
MoE ± 3

.

Favor

Oppose

Unsure

%

%

%

4/23-26/09

48

47

5

.

"Do you happen to have a family member or close friend who is
gay or lesbian?"N=2,019, MoE ± 2

"If a gay or lesbian couple gets legally married in another
state, do you think that marriage should or should not be recognized as
legal in your state?"

.

Should

Should Not

Unsure

%

%

%

4/21-24/09

53

43

4

CBS News
Poll.
March 12-16, 2009.
N=1,142 adults nationwide. MoE ±
3.

.

"Which
comes closest to your view? Gay couples should be allowed to legally marry.
OR, Gay couples should be allowed to form civil unions but not legally
marry. OR, There should be no legal recognition of a gay couple's
relationship."

"Do you think marriages between gay and lesbian couples should
or should not be recognized by the law as valid, with the same rights as
traditional marriages?"

.

Should

Should Not

Unsure

%

%

%

12/19-21/08

44

55

1

.

"Do you think marriages between gay and lesbian couples should
or should not be recognized by the law as valid, with the same rights as
traditional marriages?" If yes:
"Do you think gays and lesbians do or do not have a constitutional right to get
married and have their marriage recognized by law as valid?"

"Now I have a few questions about the situation for gay men and women in
this country and the issue of gay rights. Do you think there should or
should NOT be
[see below]?"

.

Should

Should Not

Unsure

%

%

%

.

"Legally-sanctioned gay and
lesbian unions or partnerships"

12/3-4/08

55

36

9

.

"Legally-sanctioned gay and
lesbian marriages"

12/3-4/08

39

55

6

.

"Adoption rights for gays and
lesbians so they can legally adopt children"

12/3-4/08

53

39

8

.

"Inheritance rights for gay and
lesbian domestic partners"

12/3-4/08

74

20

6

.

"Social Security benefits for
gay and lesbian domestic partners"

12/3-4/08

67

27

6

.

"Health insurance and other
employee benefits for gay and lesbian domestic partners"

12/3-4/08

73

23

4

.

"Hospital visitation rights for
gay and lesbian domestic partners"

12/3-4/08

86

10

4

.

"Gays and lesbians serving
openly in the military"

12/3-4/08

66

29

5

.

"Equal rights for gays and
lesbians in terms of job opportunities"

12/3-4/08

87

10

3

.

"Equal rights for gays and
lesbians in terms of housing"

12/3-4/08

82

13

5

.

"Thinking again about legal rights for gay and lesbian couples, which of the
following comes CLOSEST to your position on this issue? Do you support FULL
marriage rights for same-sex couples, OR support civil unions or
partnerships for same-sex couples, BUT NOT full marriage rights, OR do you
oppose ANY legal recognition for same-sex couples?"

.

Marriage
Rights

Civil Unions/
Partnerships

No
Legal
Recognition

Unsure

%

%

%

%

12/3-4/08

31

32

30

7

.

(If support full marriage rights on preceding question: "Even though you
told me you favor full marriage rights for same-sex couples, I need to ask
everyone the following question. . . .")
"Would you favor or oppose an amendment to the U.S. constitution that would
BAN gay marriage IN ALL STATES?"

.

Favor

Oppose

Unsure

%

%

%

12/3-4/08

43

52

5

.

"Gay marriage can also be an issue at the state level. Suppose YOUR STATE
held an election where you could vote for or against an amendment to the
state constitution that would ban gay marriage. Would you be more likely to
vote 'yes' in favor of OR 'no' against a ban on gay marriage in your state?"

.

Yes, Favor
Ban

No, Against
Ban

Unsure

%

%

%

12/3-4/08

45

49

6

.

"Now thinking about marriage more generally: Some people think of marriage
mostly as a legal matter and others think of it mostly as a religious
matter. Do you personally think of marriage mostly as a legal matter, or
mostly as a religious matter?"

.

Mostly
Legal

Mostly
Religious

Both Equally
(vol.)

Unsure

%

%

%

%

12/3-4/08

30

41

25

4

.

"How much, if at all, do your religious beliefs determine your views on the
issue of gay marriage? Are your religious beliefs very important, somewhat
important, not too important, or not at all important in determining your
views on gay marriage?"

.

Very
Important

Somewhat
Important

Not Too
Important

Not at All
Important

Unsure

%

%

%

%

%

12/3-4/08

41

21

11

23

4

.

"Suppose a gay or lesbian couple are legally married and have a child
through assisted reproductive technology. If the couple gets divorced, how
do you think the law should deal with disputes over child custody? Should
the gay partner who is NOT the child's biological parent have custody
rights, such as visitation and a role in making decisions about the child's
upbringing, or not?"

"Should gay and lesbian couples be allowed to marry, giving them full legal
rights of married couples, or not?"

.

Should

Should Not

No
Answer/
Unsure

%

%

%

7/31 - 8/4/08

47

47

7

6/18-25/08

42

51

7

.

"Do you favor or oppose an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would ban
same-sex couples from getting married?"

.

Favor

Oppose

No
Answer/
Unsure

%

%

%

7/31 - 8/4/08

35

58

7

6/18-25/08

36

58

6

.

"What if a presidential candidate took a position on gay marriage that was
different from your own? Would you still consider voting for him because of
his position on other issues, or would you not vote for him under any
circumstances?"

"There has been much talk recently
about whether states should give gay and lesbian couples the legal right to
marry. Which of the following comes CLOSEST to your position on this issue?
Do you support FULL marriage rights for same-sex couples, OR support civil
unions or partnerships for same-sex couples, BUT NOT full marriage rights,
OR do you oppose ANY legal recognition for same-sex couples?"

.

Full
Marriage
Rights

Civil Unions/
Partnerships

No Legal
Recognition

Unsure

%

%

%

%

ALL reg. voters

30

27

37

6

Republicans

12

28

55

5

Democrats

42

23

28

7

Independents

30

33

32

5

Gallup Poll. May 8-11, 2008. N=1,017 adults
nationwide. MoE ± 3.

.

"As you may
know, there has been considerable discussion in the news regarding the
rights of homosexual men and women. In general, do you think homosexuals
should or should not have equal rights in terms of job opportunities?"

.

Should

Should Not

Depends (vol.)

Unsure

%

%

%

%

5/8-11/08

89

8

1

1

5/10-13/07

89

8

1

2

5/8-11/06

89

9

1

1

6/17-20/77

56

33

-

11

.

"Do you feel that homosexuality should be considered an
acceptable alternative lifestyle or not?"

.

Acceptable

Not
Acceptable

Unsure

%

%

%

5/8-11/08

57

40

3

9/7-8/07

48

46

6

5/10-13/07

57

39

3

5/8-11/06

54

41

4

5/2-5/05

51

45

4

5/2-4/04

54

42

4

6/25-28/82

34

51

15

.

"Would
you favor or oppose a constitutional amendment that would define marriage as
being between a man and a woman, thus barring marriages between gay or
lesbian couples?"
N=504, MoE ± 5 (Form B)

.

Favor

Oppose

Unsure

%

%

%

5/8-11/08

49

48

3

5/8-11/06

50

47

3

4/29 - 5/1/05

53

44

3

3/18-20/05

57

37

6

7/19-21/04

48

46

6

5/2-4/04

51

45

4

3/5-7/04

50

45

5

2/9-12/04

53

44

3

2/6-8/04

47

47

6

7/03

50

45

5

.

"Thinking
about how the gay marriage issue might affect your vote for major offices,
would you only vote for a candidate who shares your views on gay marriage,
consider a candidate's position on gay marriage as just one of many
important factors when voting, or would you not see gay marriage as a major
issue?"Options rotated

"Do you think homosexual
couples should or should not be allowed to form legally recognized civil
unions, giving them the legal rights of married couples in areas such as
health insurance, inheritance and pension coverage?"

"Which of the following statements
comes closest to your view? Same-sex couples should be allowed to legally
marry. OR, Same-sex couples should be allowed to legally form civil unions,
but not marry. OR, Same -sex couples should not be allowed to either marry
or form civil unions."

"Do you favor or oppose the plan in which the U.S. military does
not ask new recruits whether they are homosexual, but would still prohibit
homosexuals from serving if they reveal their sexual orientation?"

.

Favor

Oppose

Unsure

%

%

%

8/6-8/07

38

57

6

Gallup Poll. May 10-13, 2007. N=1,003 adults
nationwide. MoE ± 3.

.

"Now,
thinking about what have been called 'hate crimes' -- those crimes committed
because the criminal hates the group of people to which the victim belongs.
As you may know, federal law currently allows prosecution of hate crimes
committed on the basis of the victim's race,
color, religion or national origin. Do you favor or oppose these laws?"

.

Favor

Oppose

Unsure

%

%

%

5/10-13/07

78

18

4

.

"There
is a proposal to expand federal hate crime laws to include crimes committed
on the basis of the victim's gender, sexual
orientation or gender identity. Would you favor or oppose expanding the
federal hate crime laws in this way?"

"Which of the following arrangements between gay or lesbian
couples do you think should be recognized as legally valid: same-sex marriages,
civil unions but not same-sex marriages, or neither same-sex marriages nor civil
unions?"

.

Same-Sex
Marriages

Civil Unions

Neither

Unsure

%

%

%

%

5/4-6/07

24

27

43

6

10/27-29/06

24

26

45

5

.

"Do you think people who are openly gay or homosexual should or
should not be allowed to serve in the U.S. military?"

.

Should

Should Not

Unsure

%

%

%

5/4-6/07

79

18

3

.

"Do you think gay or lesbian couples should or should not have
the legal right to adopt a child?"

"Do you think gays and lesbians should or should NOT be able to
serve openly in the military?"

.

Should

Should Not

Unsure

.

.

%

%

%

.

.

3/14-15/07

63

28

9

.

.

.

"There has been much talk recently about whether gays and
lesbians should have the legal right to marry someone of the same sex. Which of
the following comes closest to your position on this issue? Do you support FULL
marriage rights for same-sex couples, support civil unions or partnerships for
same-sex couples BUT NOT full marriage rights, or do you oppose ANY legal
recognition for same-sex couples?"

.

Marriage
Rights

Civil Unions

No Legal
Recognition

Unsure

.

%

%

%

%

.

3/14-15/07

26

24

44

6

.

.

"We're interested in whether certain information about a
presidential candidate would cause you to vote against the candidate, regardless
of other factors. What if you found out that the candidate was a strong
supporter of full marriage rights for same-sex couples? Would
that ALONE cause you to vote against the candidate?"

"Would
you support or oppose amending the United States Constitution to ban
same-sex marriage?"

.

Support

Oppose

Unsure

%

%

%

11/13-19/06

43

53

4

12/7-12/04

43

53

4

7/18-22/04

39

55

6

3/16-22/04

41

51

8

.

"The New
Jersey Supreme Court recently ruled that homosexual couples are entitled to
the same rights as heterosexual ones and that state legislators must rewrite
New Jersey laws to make this happen. If you had to choose in your state,
which would you prefer: allowing same-sex couples to form civil unions or
allowing same-sex couples to get married?"

"There has been much talk
recently about whether gays and lesbians should have the legal right to
marry someone of the same sex. Which of the following comes closest to your
position on this issue? Do you support FULL marriage rights for gay and
lesbian couples;do you
support gay civil unions or partnerships, BUT NOT gay marriage;or, do you oppose ANY legal recognition for gay
and lesbian couples?"

.

Full
Marriage
Rights

Civil Unions/
Partnerships

No Legal
Recognition

Unsure

%

%

%

%

ALL adults

24

26

40

10

Republicans

9

27

58

6

Democrats

34

23

33

10

Independents

24

32

33

11

Trend:

5/13-14/04

28

23

43

6

2/19-20/04

23

24

45

8

Pew Research
Center for the People & the Press and Pew Forum on
Religion & Public Life survey conducted by Schulman, Ronca &
Bucuvalas (SRBI).July 6-19, 2006. Adults nationwide. (June 2006 and earlier conducted by Princeton Survey
Research Associates International.)

"Do you think the question of whether gay marriage should be
legal is something that should be decided at the national level, or is it
something that each state should decide for itself?"
N=996, MoE ±3.5 (Form
1)

"Do you believe gays and lesbians should be
allowed to get legally married, allowed a legal partnership similar to but
not called marriage, or should there be no legal recognition given to gay
and lesbian relationships?"

.

Legally
Married

Legal
Partnership

No Legal
Recognition

Unsure

%

%

%

%

6/13-14/06

27

25

39

8

5/04

25

26

40

9

3/04

20

33

40

7

.

"Do you think the issue of whether gays and lesbians can
legally marry should be decided at the state or federal level?"

"I'm going to read you some
positions that someone running for Congress could take. For each one, please
tell me whether you would be more likely to vote for a candidate for
Congress who takes this position, less likely to vote for this candidate, or
would it not make a difference to you either way? . . ."

.

More Likely

Less Likely

No Difference

Unsure

%

%

%

%

"Favors adding an amendment to the
Constitution that bans gay marriages"

"As you may know, Massachusetts is the only
state that has legalized gay marriage. If a gay or lesbian couple gets
married in Massachusetts, should their marriage be recognized as legal in
all 50 states?"

.

Yes

No

Unsure

%

%

%

ALL

46

50

4

Democrats

63

33

4

Independents

46

49

5

Republicans

27

69

4

.

"Overall, do
you approve or disapprove of gay and lesbian couples being allowed to get
married?"

.

Approve

Neutral
(vol.)

Disap-
prove

Unsure

%

%

%

%

ALL

37

11

50

2

Democrats

53

12

31

3

Independents

34

15

49

2

Republicans

21

9

70

0

.

"Would you
favor or oppose an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would define
marriage as being between a man and a woman, thus prohibiting marriages
between gay or lesbian couples?"

.

Favor

Neutral
(vol.)

Oppose

Unsure

%

%

%

%

ALL

45

5

47

5

Democrats

31

4

62

3

Independents

41

7

48

4

Republicans

64

3

30

3

.

"Would you
favor or oppose legislation in YOUR state that would prohibit marriages
between gay or lesbian couples?"

.

Favor

Neutral
(vol.)

Oppose

Unsure

%

%

%

%

ALL

46

7

46

2

Democrats

26

7

64

4

Independents

47

13

41

0

Republicans

67

6

26

0

.

"What about
civil unions between gay or lesbian couples that would give them some, but
not all, of the legal rights of married couples? Should same-sex couples be
allowed to form civil unions but not legally marry in your state?"

.

Yes

Neutral
(vol.)

No

Unsure

%

%

%

%

ALL

46

7

41

7

Democrats

49

7

37

8

Independents

42

14

39

5

Republicans

46

4

43

6

.

"As you may
know, Massachusetts is the only state that has legalized gay marriage. Do
you think in the future that all states will
legalize gay marriage, that some additional states will legalize gay
marriage, or that no additional states will legalize gay marriage?"

"Do you think same-sex couples
should be allowed legally to marry, shouldbe
allowed legally to form civil unions but not to marry, or should not beallowed to obtain legal recognition of their relationships?"

.

Marriage

Civil
Unions

No Legal
Recognition

Unsure

%

%

%

%

4/21-24/05

27

29

40

4

CNN/USA
Today/GallupPoll.
March 18-20, 2005. Adults
nationwide.

.

"Which of the following arrangements between gay
or lesbian couples do you think should be recognized as legally valid:
same-sex marriages, civil unions but not same-sex marriages, or neither
same-sex marriages nor civil unions?"
N=466, MoE
± 5 (Form B)

.

Same-sex
Marriages

Civil
Unions

Neither

Unsure

%

%

%

%

3/18-20/05

20

27

45

8

11/19-21/04

21

32

43

4

CBS News/New
York Times
Poll.
Feb. 24-28, 2005. Adults
nationwide.

.

"Which
comes closest to your view? Same-sex couples should be allowed to legally
marry.
OR, Same-sex couples should be allowed to form civil unions but not legally marry.
OR, There
should be no legal recognition of a same-sex couple's
relationship."
Form B (N=552 adults)

"As you may know, another issue
that is on Bush's agenda is to reform medical liability awards. The
President would like to
put a $250,000 cap on jury awards for pain and suffering. The Bush
Administration contends that excessive damage
awards havebecome a burden for businesses and a
drag on the nation's economy. They argue that the cost of frivolous lawsuits
make itprohibitively expensive for small
businesses to stay in business or for doctors to practice medicine.
Opponents say the WhiteHouse is exaggerating the
extent of the problem of excessive damage awards, and say that caps on
damages ultimately do notreduce premiums for
doctors. They acknowledge the high cost of malpractice insurance, but blame
it on lax regulation of theinsurance industry.
Do you approve or disapprove of capping damages awarded by juries to
$250,000 for pain and suffering?"
Options rotated

"Is it possible that you would ever vote for a
candidate who does not share your views on the issue of gay marriage, or is
the subject so important to you that you could not vote for a candidate who
disagrees with you?"

.

Yes,
Possible

No,
Could Not

Depends
(vol.)

Unsure

%

%

%

%

11/18-21/04

57

33

5

5

.

"Do
you think defining marriage as a union only between a man and a woman is an
important enough issue to be worth changing the Constitution for, or isn't
it that kind of issue?"

"Would
you favor or would you oppose an amendment to the United States Constitution
that defines marriage as a union only between a man and a woman and makes
same-sex marriages unconstitutional?"

.

Favor
Amendment

Oppose
Amendment

Depends
(vol.)

Unsure

%

%

%

%

6/25-28/04

51

44

2

3

5/1-3/04

50

44

2

4

CBS
News Poll. May 20-23, 2004. Nationwide:

.

"Which
comes closest to your view? Gay couples should be allowed to legally marry.
OR, Gay couples should be allowed to form civil unions but not legally
marry. OR There should be no legal recognition of a gay couple's
relationship."N=1,113
adults, MoE ± 3

.

Legal
Marriage

Civil
Unions

No Legal
Recognition

%

%

%

ALL

28

29

40

Republicans

13

33

53

Democrats

32

28

36

Independents

37

27

33

18-29 years

43

32

25

30-44

29

25

44

45-64

26

29

41

65 & older

12

32

51

Northeast

35

31

33

Midwest

26

23

47

South

23

26

48

West

31

36

28

.

"Would you favor or oppose an amendment to the
U.S. Constitution that would allow marriage ONLY between a man and a woman?" N=1,113
adults, MoE ± 3

.

Favor

Oppose

Don't
Know

%

%

%

ALL

60

37

3

Republicans

78

20

2

Democrats

57

39

4

Independents

47

49

4

.

Trend:

3/10-14/04

59

35

6

2/24-27/04

59

35

6

12/03

55

40

5

.

"Is it possible that you would ever vote for a
candidate who does not share your views on the issue of gay marriage, or is
the subject so important to you that you could not vote for a candidate who
disagrees with you?" N=923
registered voters, MoE ± 3

.

Yes,
Would

No,
Would
Not

Depends
(vol.)

Don't
Know

%

%

%

%

ALL

56

35

5

4

Republicans

46

44

7

3

Democrats

57

34

3

6

Independents

64

27

5

4

.

Trend:

3/10-14/04

45

44

3

8

2/24-27/04

52

40

4

4

.

"Do you think the issue of gay marriage should be
part of this year's election campaign, or not?" N=923
registered voters, MoE ± 3

"Would you support amending the
U.S. Constitution to make it illegal for homosexual couples to get married
anywhere in the U.S., or should each state make its own laws on homosexual
marriage?"
Options rotated. Asked of half the sample.

.

Amend
Constitution

State
Laws

Unsure

%

%

%

3/4-7/04

43

54

3

2/18-22/04

46

45

9

1/15-18/04

38

58

3

CBS News Poll.
Feb. 24-27, 2004. Nationwide.

.

"Would you favor or oppose a
law that would allow homosexual couples to marry, giving them the same legal
rights as other married couples?" N=1,545
adults, MoE ± 3

Favor

Oppose

Unsure

%

%

%

2/04

30

62

8

12/03

34

61

5

7/03

40

55

5

.

"Would you favor or oppose an amendment to the
U.S. Constitution that would allow marriage only between a man and a woman,
and outlaw marriages between people of the same sex?"
Form
B (N=767 adults)

"Do you think it should be
legal or illegal for homosexual couples to get married?"

Legal

Illegal

No
Opinion

%

%

%

ALL

39

55

6

Republicans

24

73

3

Democrats

47

48

5

Independents

44

48

8

.

"Would you support amending the
U.S. Constitution to make it illegal for homosexual couples to get married
anywhere in the U.S., or should each state make its own laws on homosexual
marriage?"
Options rotated

Amend
Constitution

State Laws

No
Opinion

%

%

%

ALL

46

45

9

Republicans

58

36

6

Democrats

44

48

8

Independents

35

56

9

.

"Say a homosexual couple is
legally married in one state, then moves to another state. Should that other
state be required to recognize that marriage as legal, or not?"

"Do you think marriages between homosexual
men or between homosexual women should
be recognized as legal by the law,
or not?"

Yes

No

Unsure

%

%

%

ALL

30

62

8

Republicans

20

75

5

Independents

30

63

7

Democrats

38

52

10

Trend:

.

11/03

32

62

6

7/03

33

60

7

10/98

29

64

7

9/96

26

65

9

6/94

31

64

5

.

"Do you favor or oppose an
amendment to the U.S. Constitution that legally defines marriage as a union
between a man and woman only, and would prevent states from legally
recognizing marriages between homosexual men or between homosexual women?"

"Thinking now about gay
marriage, that is, allowing a couple who are gay or lesbian to marry one
another legally, do you favor or oppose gay marriage?"

Favor

Oppose

Unsure

%

%

%

12/03

30

56

13

.

"Do you favor or oppose a law
that would allow homosexual couples to legally form civil unions, giving
them some of the legal rights of married couples?"
Form A (N=501)

Favor

Oppose

Unsure

%

%

%

12/03

42

49

8

.

"Do
you favor or oppose a law that would allow homosexual couples to legally
form civil unions, giving them the legal rights of married couples in areas
such as health insurance, inheritance, pension coverage and hospital
visiting privileges?"
Form B (N=501)

"If the courts in your state ruled that your state's
government must legally recognize gay marriages, would you favor or oppose
amending your state's constitution to legally
define marriage as a union between a man and a woman only?"

"Would you support or oppose allowing same-sex couples to
form civil unions that are not marriages, but would give similar legal
protection in areas such as inheritance, taxes, health insurance and
hospital visits, or haven't you heard enough about
it yet to say?"

Support

Oppose

Haven't
Heard
Enough/
Don't Know

%

%

%

ALL

36

40

24

Democrats

42

36

22

Independents

36

37

27

Republicans

21

64

15

.

"Do you support or oppose allowing same-sex couples to
marry, or haven't you heard enough about it yet to
say?"

Support

Oppose

Haven't
Heard
Enough/
Don't Know

%

%

%

ALL

31

55

14

Democrats

34

54

12

Independents

30

54

16

Republicans

19

72

9

CBS
News Poll. Nov. 10-13,
2003. N=1,177 adults
nationwide. MoE ± 3.

.

"Would you favor or oppose a law that would allow
homosexual couples to legally form civil unions, giving them some of the
legal rights of married couples?"

"Would you favor or oppose allowing gays and
lesbians to form acivil union that would give a
same-sex couple the same rights andbenefits as a
married couple?"

Favor

Oppose

Unsure

%

%

%

8/03

41

53

6

.

"If a presidential candidate favored allowing gays
and lesbians toform a civil union that would give
them the same rights and benefits asa married
couple, would that make you more likely to support thatcandidate, less likely, or wouldn't it make
any difference?"

More
Likely

Less
Likely

No
Difference

Unsure

%

%

%

%

8/03

12

44

43

1

.

"How about if a presidential candidate favored gay
marriage?Would that
make you more likely to support that candidate, less likely,
orwouldn't it make any difference in your
decision to support a particularcandidate?"

More
Likely

Less
Likely

No
Difference

Unsure

%

%

%

%

8/03

10

49

39

2

.

"Would you favor or oppose a law that would ban
gay marriage,requiring that marriage should be
between a man and a woman?"

Favor

Oppose

Unsure

%

%

%

8/03

52

41

7

.

"Congress is considering a constitutional
amendment that marriageshould only be between a
man and a woman. Would you favor or oppose the
amending of the Constitution to specify marriage should be between a manand a woman?"

"Do you favor or
oppose allowing gay and lesbian couples to enter into same-sex marriages?"

.

Favor

Oppose

Depends
(vol.)

Unsure

%

%

%

%

7/26-28/03

32

51

4

13

.

"Do you favor or
oppose allowing gay and lesbian couples to enter into legal agreements with
each other that are not marriages, but that would give them many of the same
legal and financial relationships as married couples?"

"Now I'd like you to think about how your
attitudes toward gays and lesbians might have changed in the past few years.
Have you become more accepting of gays and lesbians, have your attitudes not
changed, or have you become less accepting of gays and lesbians?"

"In general, do you think gays and lesbians should or
should not be allowed to be legally married?"Split sample, Form A

%

Should

34

Should not

51

Don't know

11

Refused

3

.

"In general, do you think gays and lesbians should or
should not be allowed to form a domestic partnership that would give the same-sex couple
the same rights and benefits as opposite sex marriage?"Split sample, Form B

%

Should

41

Should not

46

Don't know

11

Refused

3

.

"I would like to read
you a proposal in the area of legal recognition of gay and lesbian relationships. For each
one, please tell me whether you favor or oppose this proposal. . . ."

"One issue that has
come up in the presidential debates is gays in the military. Do you think gay men and
lesbians should be allowed to serve openly in the military?"

%

Yes

57

No

30

Not sure

13

.

"There has been a lot
of discussion recently about whether gay couples should be granted either marriage or its
equivalent in terms of legal rights. Do you believe gays and lesbians should be allowed to
get legally married, allowed a legal domestic partnership similar to but not called
marriage, or should there be no legal recognition given to gay and lesbian
relationships?"

"Let me read you two
positions on laws dealing with homosexuality. Between these positions, which do you tend
to side with more? Position A: There are too many unnecessary laws that give special
rights to homosexuals. Position B: Current laws are necessary to prohibit discrimination
against homosexuals."

"Finally, do you
think that as a matter of principle, the federal government should treat homosexuals and
heterosexuals equally, or don't you think so?"

Yes, should

82

82

85

85

No, don't think so

14

15

11

12

Not sure

4

3

4

3

.

"As you may know, a
federal law mandates increased penalties for people who commit crimes against blacks or
other minorities out of prejudice against them. Do you favor or oppose a federal law that
would mandate the same treatment for people who commit crimes against homosexuals out of
prejudice against them?"

Favor

76

73

78

79

Oppose

19

24

18

15

Not sure

5

3

4

6

.

"In your opinion, how
serious a problem is violence against gays and lesbians in this country today: very
serious, fairly serious, not very serious, or not at all serious?"

Very serious

39

Fairly serious

36

Not very serious

17

Not at all serious

4

Not sure

4

.

"As you may know, a
gay student at the University of Wyoming was recently beaten, tied to a fence, and later
died. Do you think that an attack like the one in Wyoming could happen in your own
community, or don't you think so?"